INDYCAR News for the Weeks of July 29 – August 18, 2019

Power takes victory in weather shortened race at Pocono – Team Penske’s Will Power won the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway after impending weather ended the race after 129 of the scheduled 200 laps. The full Top 5 was Power, Dixon, Pagenaud, Ferrucci, and Newgarden. Rossi recovered to finish 18th after receiving contact from Sato on Lap 1 resulting in a multi-car incident leading to a red flag. Newgarden’s championship lead is now 35 points over Rossi followed by Pagenaud and Dixon. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/18/2019)

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Kanaan tops only practice at Pocono – AJ Foyt Racing’s Tony Kanaan’s lap at 216.35mph was fastest in the only practice session of the ABC Supply 500 race weekend at Pocono Raceway after rain forced a change in plans for the weekend. The full Top 5 was Kanaan, Dixon, Ferrucci, Rossi, and Pagenaud. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (8/17/2019)

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Rain cancels qualifying at Pocono, field set by points – “NTT IndyCar Series championship leader Josef Newgarden of Team Penske will start on the pole for Sunday’s ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway after NTT P1 Award qualifying was canceled due to weather issues. By rule, starting lineups for races are based on entrant points when qualifying sessions aren’t held.” See the full starting grid here. – INDYCAR – (8/17/2019)

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Rossi and Hinch to race as teammates at ’19 Bathurst 1000 – “Walkinshaw Andretti United, in collaboration with Andretti Autosport and United Autosports, has today announced a wildcard entry into the 2019 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, on October 10-13. The entry will be piloted by fulltime NTT IndyCar Series drivers Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe. A naming rights partner of the entry is yet to be announced, as the Team looks to align with a high profile brand for the biggest day in Australian motorsport. Importantly, both U.S. Concrete and Virgin Australia have thrown their support behind the program. U.S. Concrete’s Chairman and CEO, Bill Sandbrook, will support the entry of the car, which will be used to promote U.S. Concrete’s International products, Where’s My Concrete and ARIDUS Rapid Drying Concrete.” Full release at the link. – Walkinshaw Andretti United – (8/15/2019)

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Carlin unveils ripKurrent livery for No. 23 at Gateway – “Carlin is proud to announce that ripKurrent will make their NTT IndyCar Series debut as a primary partner at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 with INDYCAR veteran Charlie Kimball piloting the No. 23 ripKurrent Carlin Chevrolet at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.” Full release at the link. See the livery on our No. 23 livery page here. – Carlin – (8/15/2019)

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HSR unveils Capstone Turbine livery for remainder of the season – Harding Steinbrenner Racing has unveiled a new Capstone Turbine livery the team will use on their No. 88 entry Colton Herta throughout the remainder of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season. See the livery on our No. 88 livery page here. – Harding Steinbrenner Racing – (8/14/2019)

Trackside podcast 8/13/19 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/13/19 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (8/14/2019)

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Pocono spotter guide – The official INDYCAR spotter guide for the NTT IndyCar Series ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (8/13/2019)

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Pocono entry list – The official INDYCAR entry list for the NTT IndyCar Series ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway is available at the link. – INDYCAR – (8/13/2019)

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Carlin confirms Daly to drive No. 59 at Pocono and Gateway – Carlin has announced Conor Daly will drive the team’s No. 59 entry in the upcoming NTT IndyCar Series events at Pocono Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Full announcement at the link. – Carlin – (8/12/2019)

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Arrow SPM and McLaren to partner for two Chevy cars in ’20 – “McLaren Racing announced today it will return to full-time IndyCar competition from 2020 in a strategic partnership with Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (Arrow SPM) and Chevrolet. McLaren last competed full-time in IndyCar in 1979. Under the partnership, the team will be renamed Arrow McLaren Racing SP and will field two Chevrolet-powered cars in the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series, reflecting the continuing status of Arrow Electronics as the team’s title partner, as well as a new manufacturer partnership with Chevrolet. The partnership will see the infrastructure of Arrow SPM underpin the team’s operations, while McLaren adds technical expertise, commercial experience and marketing strength to enable the new entity to perform at the highest competitive level and regularly challenge for wins and the series title. Arrow SPM co-founders Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson continue in their current roles.” Full release at the link. – McLaren Racing – (8/9/2019)

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Andretti announces Daly to drive No. 25 at Laguna Seca – “Andretti Autosport and the United States Air Force announced today that Conor Daly will be returning to drive the No. 25 U.S. Air Force Honda for the all-American team at the NTT IndyCar Series season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in late September. The Indianapolis native will pilot a fifth entry for the team.” Full release at the link. – Andretti Autosport – (8/8/2019)

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Andretti unveils Oberto livery for No. 98 at Gateway and Portland – “For a third consecutive year, Oberto Specialty Meats will paint the No. 98 racing machine of Marco Andretti in their iconic black, red and green colors – this year for two NTT IndyCar Series races; the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 held at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and the Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway. Andretti previously represented Oberto & Circle K at the inaugural INDYCAR event at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2017, as well as at the 2018 Honda Indy Toronto. Additionally, the No. 98 ran a special Oberto & Circle K adorned throwback livery for the 2018 Phoenix International Raceway event.” See the livery on our No. 98 livery page here. Full release at the link. – Andretti Autosport – (8/8/2019)

Trackside podcast 8/6/19 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 8/6/19 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (8/7/2019)

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Pagenaud unveils his likeness on Borg-Warner Trophy in Paris – “2019 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Simon Pagenaud unveiled his face on the Borg-Warner Trophy on Monday, Aug. 5 in Paris, the capital city of his native France, the first time the winner’s likeness has debuted outside of the United States. Pagenaud’s likeness is the 106th face to be permanently fixed to the trophy. Pagenaud was the 2016 NTT IndyCar Series champion, has 14 career NTT IndyCar Series race wins and is the fifth French-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500. He captured the 103rd edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet on Sunday, May 26 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.” Full release at the link. – IMS – (8/5/2019)

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Jenkins to be on PA team for Gateway IndyCar event – “His voice has been synonymous with calling the action at racing events across the country for 40 years. Now, Bob Jenkins is bringing his familiar and welcome tone to World Wide Technology Raceway. Jenkins has joined the public address team for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline weekend involving the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR K&N Pro Series and more.” Full release at the link. – World Wide Technology Raceway – (8/2/2019)

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INDYCAR announces single-source hybrid system for ’22 – “INDYCAR, in partnership with Chevrolet and Honda, will implement a single-source hybrid system in its race cars for the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season that will provide key enhancements ranging from competition to safety. In keeping with INDYCAR’s history of integrating innovation into the sport, the hybrid powertrain will mark the first time that the vehicles will depart from the traditional, manual hand-held electric starters to a hybrid component that can be activated by the driver from the cockpit. The hybrid system will work in parallel with the internal combustion engines from Honda and Chevrolet, combining growing hybrid technology with the traditional power plants to produce in excess of 900 horsepower for the most competitive racing series in the world. The hybrid technology will consist of a multi-phase motor, inverter and electric storage device that will create energy recovery from the car’s braking system. The addition of the hybrid technology to the traditional engine formula will provide some integral benefits for the competitors while enhancing the race action for the fans. In addition to allowing drivers to restart their cars from the cockpit, the system will increase the horsepower of the push-to-pass system and potentially improve the pace and overall time of races.” Full release at the link. – INDYCAR – (8/1/2019)

Trackside podcast 7/30/19 – 1070 The Fan’s Trackside with Curt Cavin and Kevin Lee radio show from 7/30/19 is a great listen as always. – 1070 The Fan – (7/31/2019)

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Report: McLaren chasing Herta for ’20 – The Indianapolis Star’s Jim Ayello published an interesting report on McLaren’s pursuit of Colton Herta for a full-time entry in the NTT IndyCar Series in 2020. Full story at the link. – IndyStar – (7/30/2019)

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Dixon earns sixth career Mid-Ohio victory – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon won a wild Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio for his sixth career victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The full Top 5 was Dixon, Rosenqvist, Hunter-Reay, Power, and Rossi. Newgarden spun off track on the final lap and his championship lead is down to just 16 points over Rossi. Full results here. – INDYCAR – (7/28/2019)

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Askew sweeps Lights weekend with Race 2 win at Mid-Ohio – Andretti Autosport’s Oliver Askew finished off his sweep of the Indy Lights race weekend Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with his second consecutive win from pole in Race 2. The full Top 5 was Askew, Sowery, VeeKay, Norman, and Malukas. Askew’s championship lead is now 45 points. Full results here. – Indy Lights – (7/28/2019)

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Power takes pole at Mid-Ohio – Team Penske’s Will Power won the pole for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with a Firestone Fast 6 lap of 1:05.1569. The full Firestone Fast 6 order was Power, Rossi, Newgarden, Pagenaud, Bourdais, and Rosenqvist. Full qualifying results here. – INDYCAR – (7/27/2019)

Rossi & Honda return with Andretti for ’20 and beyond – “Alexander Rossi will continue to call Andretti Autosport home after extending his tenure with the team on a multi-year agreement. The championship contender will return in 2020 and beyond to pilot the No. 27 Honda, with primary sponsorship divided between long-time team partners NAPA AUTO PARTS and AutoNation…The Andretti Autosport team will also continue to drive under Honda Power in 2020 as part of a multi-year extension.” Full release at the link. – Andretti Autosport – (7/27/2019)

IMS announces new 8 hour endurance race for ’20 – “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli sports car championship Oct. 1-4, 2020, in conjunction with its North American series, GT World Challenge America. The Indianapolis 8 Hours will combine the two series for the first time in an epic endurance classic on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at the Racing Capital of the World. The best International GT teams will battle GT World Challenge America teams to enhance the exciting #IntGTC schedule organized by SRO Motorsports Group that also features the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour (Australia), Total 24 Hours of Spa (Belgium), Suzuka 10 Hours (Japan) and Kyalami 9 Hour (South Africa).” Full release at the link. – IMS – (7/27/2019)

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DragonSpeed IndyCar return hampered by visa issues – From @DragonSpeedLLC: “@IndyCar Fans! We are still alive!! We’ve had 3 more Endurance races since our magical outing at @IMS. Unfortunately, we have been stung by Visa issues for our crew & driver & are awaiting resolution by .gov. This will NOT discourage us from our eventual planned return.” – DragonSpeed – (7/24/2019)

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St. Pete City Council extends GP deal through ’24 – “The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will remain as a cornerstone event on the NTT IndyCar Series schedule through at least 2024. St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved a four-year extension to the existing agreement with Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC last week. This spring break racing tradition has been the season opening event on INDYCAR’s annual calendar for the past nine years of its 15-year history. The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg brings worldwide exposure and spectators from across the globe to the City of St. Petersburg.” Full release at the link. – Firestone GP – (7/24/2019)